Little Prince
by Fluff Inc
Summary: A collection of Kuranosuke drabbles. Chapter 7: Kuranosuke didn't need his father's approval. He might have wanted it a long time ago but this is now and not then.
1. light in the heart

Note: A collection of Kuragehime drabbles featuring Kuranosuke. Most of them are related to Tsukimi though.

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><p>Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a <em>light in the heart<em>.

- Kahlil Gibran

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><p>Kuranosuke has always been surrounded by beautiful things: beautiful clothes, beautiful shoes, beautiful jewelry and beautiful women.<p>

He is constantly surrounded by the first three. In fact, he revels in them. But the last one. The last one he avoids.

By high school, Kuranosuke has learned three things about women.

One, he knows that they like him.

Two, he knows that women, especially the beautiful ones, are, more often than not: fickle, jealous, and spiteful. Theoretically, he knows that not every woman fits into this particular stereotype, but he finds it difficult to change his expectations when the stereotype is all that he's known.

Three, no one is as beautiful as his mother.

Then one day he meets Tsukimi.

Her eyebrows are a mess, her hair is stringy, her complexion is dull, and her clothes are despicable. But she's probably the most interesting girl he's ever met.

He knows she has potential but when her eyes met his in the aquarium, her eyes are bright and clear and he knows this cannot be attributed to mascara or the shimmery eyeshadow he (forcefully) applied on her lids.

Kuranosuke has always been surrounded by beautiful things, but for the first time in what seemed like forever, he's found beauty again.

And no, he's not referring to the jellyfish.


	2. routine

This is their twenty third fashion show but Tsukimi insists on being stubborn. She's gained some confidence and she can actually talk to 'stylish' people now but she still refuses to introduce herself as the designer at the end of every show.

He's heard every excuse from "I'm not the only one who deserves credit!" to "Please, no, my stomach hurts."

Kuraonosuke ignores every excuse and would, without fail, bodily drag her to the runway. Tsukimi is usually too tired to argue at the end of their shows so he usually succeeds.

He engulfs her right hand with his left and pulls her along to bask in the praise of their adoring public. He looks straight ahead, chin tilted up, with a small smile on his lips. He doesn't need to look at his side to know that Tsukimi is bright red and smiling tremulously, bowing in thanks to the praises and encouragement thrown their way.

They walk the entire length of the runway together, hand in hand. In fact, they walk the length of the runway together, hand in hand _at every show. _So by now, he is quite familiar with the minute details of Tsukimi's hands. The calluses her fingers, the deplorable state of her nails, and the fact that her hands still shake from nervousness.

They return backstage to more congratulations from the models, the rest of the staff, and the Amars.

Kuranosuke still holds Tsukimi's hands in his until she stops shaking.

And sometimes he quite _forgets_ to let go altogether.


	3. label

They have meals together. They visit aquariums together. They watch movies (i.e. documentaries about jellyfishes) together. Point in fact, they do a lot of activities together. With any other girl, Kuranosuke would have concluded by now that he was going out with Tsukimi.

The problem was that Tsukimi wasn't any other girl.

It's incredibly frustrating but he hesitates to bring up this topic. He doesn't want to make her uneasy. He's worked so hard to finally get her to be comfortable around him when he's not wearing female clothing. He'll be damned if he starts all over again.

He accidentally brings it up though.

They're paying for ice cream at the convenience store when Tsukimi does something she's never done before. She offers to pay. Kuranosuke stares at her for a full half minute much to the consternation of the cashier. Somewhere at the back of his mind, he realizes they're holding up the line.

(They've settled this a long time ago. If they went out together within the constraints of Tsukimi's budget they wouldn't be able to set foot out of Amamizukan. So he offers to pay for everything whenever they're out together. He doesn't mind really and he understands jellyfishes are an expensive hobby. He happily dispelled Tsukimi's objections by flashing her his credit card and gives her his I-come-from-a-rich-family-money-is-no-issue speech.)

"Why?" Is the only thing he manages.

"I had some money left." Tsukimi smiles at him sweetly and his resolve almost crumbles.

Thankfully he still has enough sense to dig out the 10,000 bill he shoved into his pocket earlier and he slams it into the counter with more force than necessary.

"No, I'm paying."

"But I want to!"

They have a bit of scuffle, and before he knows it he's the saying words: "Let me pay! A boyfriend has to pay for his girlfriend you know!"

Tsukimi is rendered speechless and she stares at him with wide eyes before she turns red. And then she looks at everywhere _but_ him.

The walk back to Amamizukan is quiet and awkward and uncomfortable. All the while, Kuranosuke curses his stupidity and he imagines that he looks quite pathetic gazing longingly at Tsukimi, who's walking in from of him.

They're almost at the gate when Tsukimi's voice penetrates his thoughts. "You didn't ask me."

"Huh?"

"You didn't ask me to be your girlfriend." Tsukimi fumbles with the latch of the gate. Her words are quiet and she still refuses to meet his eyes. "I would have said yes."

"Y-you would?"

They're at the door when Tsukimi abruptly turns around. A smile tugs at the corner of her lips. "I would if Mejiro-san approves."


	4. the great question

He's starting to loose sleep.

He's also lost his appetite.

Kuranosuke doesn't really know why but a single question has been bothering him for almost a week now.

He unwisely, accidentally, blurts it in front of Hanamori one day. And he regretted it instantly. Kuranosuke was prepared to walk out and pretend that nothing happened but Hanamori had a spark of interest in his eyes that was usually reserved for German manufactured automobiles.

"What does your brother have that you don't?"

The second son of the Koibuchi family swiftly turned around and started shaking his brother's driver. "FORGET IT! YOU HEARD NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!"

"Eh? But isn't it obvious?"

"I-it is?"

Hanamori nods at him with the solemnity of someone who had found the answers to life's most elusive questions.

"What you don't have, but what your brother has, is a cool, good looking, suave driver and a Benz."

Kuranosuke knocks him out with a head butt.


	5. household matters

Note: There are spoilers for chapter 38 of the manga.

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><p>1.<p>

For as long as he could remember, Kuranosuke has always wondered what it's like to have a father. The scenarios he made up concerning this elusive figure were too numerous and too varied to be described.

Reality, however, is a disappointment. No happy tears are shed, no hugs are received, and hardly any excitement is expressed when he is finally introduced to his father.

Reality is a small smile, a gruff 'hello' and a quick handshake.

Reality is a firm clasp on his shoulders, keeping him in place as he helplessly watched his mother leave him.

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><p>2.<p>

Kuranosuke doesn't quite know what to think of brothers. He's never really given it any thought but suddenly he has one. He has an older brother now. And older brothers, he finds out, have cold eyes, a politely disinterested air, and ignorant of French perfume.

Older brothers, he realizes, command you to dry your tears, force you to watch boring shows, and suffer from an inability to cook.

Kuranosuke decides he likes having an older brother.

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><p>3.<p>

Stepmothers are evil. Everyone knows that.

He hides his nervousness when he is finally introduced to her and he tries not to think of Cinderella and Snow White.

His first impression was something like: mama is prettier.

To his eyes, her short, black hair, neatly combed back from her face was no comparison to the golden tresses of his mama. Her gray dress was hundreds, and thousands, and millions away from the pretty gowns mama wore.

Kuranosuke quickly figures out a routine with his new relations. He doesn't interact much with his father (because he's never around). He follows his older brother constantly around the house. And he avoids his stepmother.

She doesn't force him to clean the whole house in rags, nor does she offer poisoned apples to him (well, he hopes the bunny shaped apple slices she offers him sometimes aren't poisoned), but Kuranosuke already has a mama. A mama who is prettier and nicer. He doesn't want a substitute much less a replacement. Just because he lets her hold his hand when they're walking in a crowded place doesn't mean she's his new mother. He doesn't want her to get the wrong idea. So he tells her, just to clear things up.

"I already have a mama." She looks up at his words. His stepmother was kneeling in front of him to clean the wound on his knee because he tripped earlier while playing with some kids in the playground. She did things like that, his stepmother. She packed him food for school, bought him toys, and stocked his favorite juice in the refrigerator.

"I know." She smiles at him and she pats his head when she's finished applying the band aid.

The fairy tales were wrong. Stepmothers weren't so bad after all.


	6. genesis

Note: This is a bit of speculation on my part. I suppose this takes place sometime during Kuranosuke's high school years.

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><p>One of his ex-girlfriends gave him the idea that started it all.<p>

"I'm so jealous. You're skin is so nice, and you're eyelashes! I'd pay to have those. You'd make a really pretty girl you know."

Kuranosuke only smiles wryly. Silently, he agrees though. It's not mere vanity. It's fact. If he wanted to, he could put (more than) half of the girls who strut around in Ginza to shame.

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><p>He's slightly drunk and a lot lonely, when he decides to put on one of his mother's gowns.<p>

Even in his inebriated state, he carefully handles the material, and when he finally slips on the vintage gown he can do nothing but stare at his reflection.

He looks at a mirror and he sees his mother's eyes, his mother's nose, and his mother's lips. It's almost perfect.

His runs his fingers through his hair.

It's the same color and the same texture.

Just the wrong length.

The next day he buys his first wig.

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><p>He's horrible at academics, and he hates sports but he finds make up and hair ridiculously simple.<p>

Eyeliner, mascara, foundation, blush, and lipstick. He learns how to put them on and them some. Learning how to style his hair was even easier if that was possible.

His greatest challenge were high heels. Needless to say, he learns a greater respect for women after his first time walking around in stilettos.

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><p>It's a lot like playing dress up. It's fun to piss off his father and he thinks it's an absolute riot when men eye him appreciatively.<p>

But the real reason he spends almost two hours everyday perfecting his appearance is to see his mother staring back at him when he looks at the mirror.


	7. tete-a-tete

Note: I'm sorry this isn't as fluffy as the other drabbles. There are spoilers for chapter 60 of the manga. Actually, I'm not sure about the exact chapter, but I think it's beyond chapter 55. I'll try to write something happier for the next one. Also, this might be OOC-ish but I firmly believe Koibuchi-papa loves bullying Kuranosuke.

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><p>Kuranosuke didn't need his father's approval. He might have wanted it a long time ago but this is now and not then. His opinion meant nothing to him anymore.<p>

However, that didn't change the fact that his opinions were so damned annoying.

He doesn't know how he even got into this situation in the first place: an empty ballroom, haphazardly arranged tables and chairs, Hanamori enthusiastically scarfing down fruit tarts on his left, and his father seated on his right.

He doesn't need to glance at his side to know that the old man was surveying the two figures clumsily attempting the waltz at the center of the room. After all, he was watching them too.

"You have no one but yourself to blame."

Kuranosuke snorted. "I don't know what the hell you're—"

"—you know exactly what I'm talking about." His father snorted back at him.

"Whatever it is that you're assuming you're absolutely wrong." He clenched his fists tightly. Vaguely, he registered the feeling of his too long fingernails digging against his palm.

"I don't have to assume anything. It's written plainly on your face. I'd pity you, but you have no one but yourself to blame."

He let out a laugh which was equal parts scorn and disbelief. "I so enjoy our little chats, but I really don't know what you're driving at."

"Really? You mean you've never thought that Tsukimi could've been yours instead of Shuu's?"

Kuranosuke could have sworn that _this_, right here, was the moment when he hated his father the most. "I've never thought that," he enunciated lowly.

"Well now you are," proclaimed his father smugly.

He finally glanced to his right, and damn him, the senile, old fool was giving him a look that could have only been described as mocking.

"If you didn't prance around Tokyo in your ridiculous outfits, you could be the one dancing with her right now."

He was ashamed to himself that the only reply he could muster was a mechanical, "Shut up."

"I even heard that you were the one to get her ring size. Seriously, how stupid are you?"

Kuranosuke didn't answer. But he remembered pale skin and fine bones, and how Tsukimi's hand fit perfectly in his. And, yes, he was stupid. But he was never going to admit that out loud, especially not to his father, of all people.

"I don't see why you're so worked up. Nothing's final until the marriage. And even if they do get married—"

Kuranosuke pushed back his chair noisily and stood up. He didn't stomp per say, but he enjoyed the sound his heels made against the marble floor.

He didn't care for his father's opinion. Like hell he was going to listen to his advice.

He strode out of the room and didn't look back.


End file.
